Berry-box.



PATENTBD DBC. 19, X905.

J. E. HARDMAN.

BERRY BOX.

APPLIUATION ruw Dnc.11.19o3.

fama Hardman "Evi/hummm y V j? d.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed December 11,1903. Serial No, 184,828.

T0 all whowt it nea/y concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. HARDMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Berry-Boxes, of which the followin is a specification.

My invention re ates to improvements in paper or fiber berry-boxes; and its objects are, rst, to provide a means for securing the bottoms into this class of boxes in such a manner that the boxes may be packed into crates without loss of room second, to provide for free circulation of air through the boxes, and, third, to provide a perfectly reliable lknockdown box for shipping berries. 4I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan of the blank from which the body of the box is formed. Fig. 2 is a plan of the bottom of the box. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the box, showing the supporting and retaining offsets and Fig. 4 is an elevation of the box, showing the locking device, and Fig. 5 shows the usual manner of placing the bottoms into boxes of this kind.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents the body of the blank from which the box is formed, and B and C represent the overlapping ends that interlock to form the box by the lugs c passing through and engaging the loops c, substantially as indicated in Fig. 4.

My device for securing the bottom D into the body of the box consists of oifsets b, that are formed by cutting a slit through the walls of the box and passing the portion of the wall immediately below the slit inward, as indicated in Fig. 3, forming a projection upon the inner surface of the wall of the box,

which supports the bottom from below, andy to avert the danger of the bottom falling out or being raised up when once in place I form protecting-strips t in the wall ofthe box, that may be pressed out to the position shown in Fig. 3 to prevent the bottom from being misplaced or may be pressed back parallel with the surface of the box, so that the box may be readily removed.

d d, te., represent openings formed in the body and bottom of the box for the free circulation of air.

The usual means of securing the bottom into this class of berry-boxes consists of cuttin apertures through the walls of the box an passing the corners D of the bottom through; but by this means the corners project beyond the outer surface of the box, as indicated in Fig. 5, and re uire a lar er crate to hold the same number di quarts o berries, besides rendering it impossible to pack the boxes snug enough in the crate to render shipment safe and satisfactory, the two obj ections especially aimed to be averted in my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

In a fiber berry-box, an oblong board folded to form the four side walls, having a horizontal slot b through each side section, and a second horizontal slot b directly above it and having a vertical slot extending upward from each end, the stock below the slot b being offset inward to support the bottom and the stock above the slot b offset inward to form a temporary stop to prevent the bottom from raising, and a square thin bottom supported between them and litting closely between the side sections, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Grand Rapids, Michigan, December 5, 1903.

JAMES E. HARDMAN.

In presence of- ANTHONY VANDERSTOLP, ITHIEL J. CILLEY. n j 

